The Job Market for Digital Marketers

By 2017, 60% of all retail sales in the United States will involve the web. In order to accommodate this growing method of commerce, companies must change the way they communicate with consumers. When consumers research products on the web, they are looking for helpful information and real communication from companies. Digital marketers are responsible for creating and managing the content which keeps consumers engaged and interested in a company and its products.

Digital Spending is On the Rise

According to a 2015 survey of marketing executives, 68% of organizations now have a separate budget for digital marketing, and they are funding digital marketing budgets by reassigning funds from an existing marketing budget. This is because many traditional marketing methods such as print and television ads are becoming less effective. Digital methods are working their way toward center stage. In fact, digital’s share of total worldwide advertising is expected to reach 33.5% by 2017; mobile’s share of digital advertising will surpass 50% that same year. With so much demand for skilled professionals who can execute digital strategies, companies are snapping up skilled digital marketers as soon as they hit the street.

A recent study by AdAge states that 80% of companies plan to increase their digital marketing budget over the next 12-18 months, according to a study released by Mondo. While spending on digital marketing and the need for talent increases, supply is not meeting demand.

“One challenge that has been very prominent for digital marketers is the hiring of great talent, and companies are finally getting the budget to do that,” said Laura McGarrity, VP-digital marketing strategy at Mondo, a technology and digital-marketing resource provider.

According to the study, the top hiring barriers are finding skilled talent (cited by 65% of respondents); the cost of quality staff (30%); attracting top talent (21%); retaining top talent (16%); and culture fit (26%).

The Job Market for Digital Marketers

The sky is the limit for skilled digital marketers. According to the Digital Marketing Institute, there is a huge demand for brand management skills in 2015, as well as technical skills including SEO, Pay Per Click (PPC), Content Management, and Analytics. Salaries are on the rise, too, as more companies are willing to invest in their digital marketers. Starting salaries can average in the mid-$60s while experts with a few years of experience under their belts can meet or exceed a six-figure salary.

Mondo pointed out that turnover “has been a really big issue.” Ms. McGarrity noted that the average tenure for digital marketing professionals is 12 months to 18 months. By comparison, average CMO tenure is 45 months, according to executive recruiting firm Spencer Stuart in a March 2014 report.

“There is such high demand and it’s such a new space — people are hopping around to find the best jobs,” she added. “It is a candidate’s market, particularly in digital marketing.”

The top skill sets companies are hiring for this year are digital/social (54%), content creation (44%), big data/analytics (33%) and mobile strategy (30%), Mondo found.

The Advantages of a Certificate Program

In 2014, The Online Marketing Institute surveyed top executives about their digital marketing strategies. More than one-third of the survey’s respondents have not hired anyone because they cannot find a qualified candidate with specialized education or experience in the field.

In other words, companies know they need digital marketers, but the demand outweighs the supply of talent. A certificate in digital marketing can be completed quickly and offers laser focus on the skill set needed by digital marketers. To learn more about the Certificate in Digital Marketing offered by CCE @ Assumption, click here.